Canine
by Lady Drama
Summary: When Mikan, a cheerful brown spaniel meets Natsume, the neighbourhood's toughest dog... Includes a bored Hotaru and frazzled caretaker!


_Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice._

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Once upon a time, in a neighbourhood buried deep within the countryside, there lived two feuding families, the Hyuugas and the Sakuras. Fate, that mischievous creature with far too much time on her hands, decided to place their houses directly opposite each other. Thus, they could conveniently spend their time abusing and cursing one another by screaming over the road.

Soon the neighbourhood became notorious for these fights. Newcomers to the town were cautioned against travelling by the road that led through it. Policemen came to dread their turns to patrol there as it was never easy to predict when a fight would break out. One man even swore that he had seen Mrs. Sakura almost strangle Mrs. Hyuuga over a clothespin.

If taken apart and viewed individually, both families were rather nice. Mr. Sakura crunched numbers in a bank while Mrs. Sakura owned a small grocery shop, which she had inherited from her parents. They were a childless couple but they did own two dogs, who they named Mikan and Hotaru.

Mr. Hyuuga worked for a local manufacturing company and was the sort of man who liked nothing better than to sit around pushing papers all day. Mrs. Hyuuga was a stay-at-home wife, who enjoyed taking care of her house and two year old son far too much to want a job. They too owned a dog. His name was Natsume.

One day, during the peak of the hot summer season, both families thought to go out of town on vacation. The rest of the residents of the neighbourhood were so glad to hear about these plans that they took up a fund to pay for the trips. So, the Sakuras and the Hyuugas happily went away, the former on a cruise ship, the latter to a safari. The Resident Association heaved a sigh of relief at the respite from the daily cacophony of shrill screams and shouts.

Now on this very street, where the houses of the Hyuugas and the Sakuras were, there lived an old woman named Mrs. Biddle. She was a lovely old lady, always ready to hand the children playing outside her house a few cookies. It was to her tender care that Mrs. Sakura entrusted her pets. Mikan and Hotaru were happy to stay with her. Mikan expressed her joy by pawing at the old woman's skirt and barking enthusiastically, while Hotaru gave a short wag with her tail. Mrs. Sakura left them at Mrs. Biddle's house with a fond smile and wave of farewell. Mikan whined and attempted to follow her mistress but gave up as Mrs. Biddle firmly closed the door. She settled for licking Mrs. Biddle's face until the woman gave her a whole plate of blueberry muffins. However, before Mikan could eat so much as one, Hotaru intervened and neatly swiped all of them off the plate. Mikan let out a loud bark and pulled at the other dog's tail. Hotaru tugged herself free and ran away into another room, taking all the food with her. Mikan turned to Mrs. Biddle with tears in her big, expressive eyes but she was now reading a newspaper and did not notice the little dog's plight.

Mikan barked, begging Mrs. Biddle for attention but the old woman shushed her and continued to read without looking up even once. Mikan gave up and ran behind Hotaru instead. She sniffed the air and decided that the smell of the muffins was coming from the bathroom. She bounded out of the room and raced to the bathroom. However, she found nothing there. Putting her nose to the ground and focusing deeply, she detected a trail leading to the bathtub. She tensed all four legs and jumped up, falling just a little short of the tub's edge. Nevertheless, she held on to the plastic using her sharp little claws. She put one paw before the other in an attempt to climb in but her feet met thin air. Then she grabbed the thin plastic curtain that lay on one side of the bathtub and sunk her claws into it. Unfortunately, it proved to be too slippery for her and her hind legs gave way before she could properly climb up any further. With a small yelp, Mikan crashed into the bathtub, taking the plastic curtain and the rod from which it was suspended down with her. The rod landed on the tub with a loud clang that woke up the snoozing Mrs. Biddle and sent her scurrying to her bathroom to investigate the strange noises. When she saw Mikan and Hotaru innocently sitting in the bath, a broken plate with a few muffin crumbs lying between them she felt extremely suspicious for there is nothing naughtier than an angelic dog. When she saw the rod and tattered curtain lying behind them, those suspicions were confirmed. With a loud shriek, she picked up the rod. Mikan and Hotrau looked at each other and barked once. A signal. Within seconds, they were both out of the bathtub and running away as fast as possible from the hyperventilating Mrs. Biddle.

When they reached the living room where their mistress had dropped them off, they noticed that the door Mrs. Biddle had shut earlier had now drifted open slightly, offering a tantalizing view of the street that lay beyond. Perhaps she had received a visitor while they were busy with their shenanigans or maybe it was just a lucky burst of wind, but the unspoken offer of freedom was just too good to resist. With an excited bark, Mikan put her nose in the gap and pushed it open, using all her strength to do so. When it was open wide enough for them to pass through, she turned to her friend with shining eyes, as if to say, ("Aren't you proud of me?")

Hotaru rolled her eyes and Mikan barked indignantly. ("I put in so much of effort and this is the reward I get?")

("Stupid. There was no need for you to do that. A strong wind is blowing. It would have opened up soon enough anyway.")

("But Old Lady would have come down by then!")

("She's too busy setting the bathroom in order.")

Thus defeated, Mikan whined softly. Hotaru ignored her and walked out of the door, holding her tail proudly aloft. After a few seconds, Mikan heard Mrs. Biddle's approaching footsteps and hurriedly followed her friend.

It was dark outside and the stars were shining brightly; each constellation visible as it is only in the countryside. Hotaru's black fur gleamed in the hint of moonlight that the crescent moon above provided while Mikan's fluffy brown fur sparkled as she skipped along beside her. Suddenly Mikan saw a squirrel. Before Hotaru could so much as utter a warning bark ("Idiot! We have to get home before it's too late!"), Mikan was off like a shot behind it, intent only on her prey and nothing else. Unfortunately, Hotaru recognized the other dog who had been chasing the squirrel, whom Mikan hadn't noticed in her eagerness. Natsume Hyuuga. A big black dog with blood red eyes that even some of the two legged ones feared.

His eyes narrowed as he took in the intruder in his chase. Suddenly, he shifted his focus from the squirrel to Mikan and lunged on her with a bark terrifying enough to send even Hotaru back a few paces. She recovered quickly though and continued to watch the scene before her with interested violet eyes.

Natsume was far bigger than Mikan and he lifted the smaller dog up easily in his jaws, ignoring her yelps. He walked to his master's garden, his official territory and set her down. He then stepped back. ("Well, what have you got to say for yourself?")

Mikan took a tentative step forward and licked the very surprised Natsume. ("Can we be friends?")

("No!") Natsume's answering bark sounded aghast.

Easy tears formed in the cute little dog's chocolate brown eyes and she cocked her head to one side. ("Why not?")

("Because you… I don't want a friend! Besides, you interrupted my squirrel hunt!")

("Can't we both chase the squirrel?")

Natsume seemed struck by this suggestion, as well as Mikan's complete inability to take a hint to go away and actually sat down to consider it. Mikan looked at him and licked him again for good measure. At this, he jumped up and away. ("Alright. But only if you promise not to do that anymore!")

Mikan whined so loudly that a little girl who had been walking down the road with her grandfather turned nervously around to look at the two dogs.

"Idiot," said Natsume, with a barking laugh. He sprang up lightly and ran away, towards the direction in which the squirrel had been running. Mikan jumped right behind him and ran, her legs struggling to keep pace with his long strides. But she looked happy nevertheless.

After a while Natsume stopped, even though the squirrel hadn't been caught yet. In response to Mikan's enquiring bark, he picked her up again and ran towards the water bowl that his caretaker, one of his master's best friends, had left out for him.

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When both the families returned, a long time later, they were stunned to find Mikan and Natsume playing together in the Hyuugas' garden.

"What is your filthy dog doing here?" asked Mrs. Hyuuga, pointing an accusing finger at Mikan and glaring at Mrs. Sakura.

Before anybody could say another word, Natsume barked loudly and grabbed Mr. Hyuuga's shirt, gently tugging him towards the Sakuras' house. "No Natsume," said Mr. Hyuuga but the dog insistently pulled him anyway. What they saw on the Sakura's porch stopped both families in their tracks. Three small puppies were happily clambering all over Hotaru and the occasional twitch of her tail told Mrs. Sakura that the dog was very happy. Then one of the pups looked up and Mrs. Sakura gasped. Its fur was brown but its eyes were a deep shade of crimson, identical to Natsume's.

"Well," said Mr. Sakura, rather ruefully, "I suppose we have no choice."

He held out a hand, which Mr. Hyuuga shook after a moment's hesitation.

And they all lived happily ever after.

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AN: Dedicated to my sick yet ultra-awesome dog!

_And yes, I know what a female dog is called but I prefer to use 'dog' for both genders :P_

_Anyway, all thoughts on my first non-human!NatsumeMikan fic are welcome, pro or con!_


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